The Missing Jewel

Sep 02, 2015

B"H

Today is the 18th of Elul, the birthday of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidism and Rabbi Schnuer Zalman of Liadi, the author of the Tanya and founder of the Chabad movement. It has a very strong spiritual energy for tapping into the depths of your soul.

I heard the following from a simple Jew who is a doctor, sophisticated in his knowledge of the workings of the body, but not so much in the workings of the soul. But, as the Baal Shem Tov taught us, the deepest, clearest spiritual wisdom resides in the simple Jew.

The doctor was sad. He had searched his soul and realized that he had built his life around his work calendar. Now, he had a simple request. Could we please send him a Jewish calendar? Because now he wanted to build his life around Jewish time. And then he told us this:

You can always choose to be reactive or proactive. You can give up and say, "That's just the way I am." OR you can choose just one small thing to change and work on it all year long.

So, what is that one little thing you'd like to change this year? What is the precious jewel that you have lost from your spiritual crown that you would like to restore this year with an even finer jewel?

12 Coloring Pages for the whole family to discuss how to make good life changes​

It's Elul, the Jewish month of introspection, of turning and returning to G-d. It's a time when G-d is especially close to us - not sitting in the holy throne in the sublime remote Palace of the King, but right here, next to us, in the fields of our everyday lives. Take advantage of this precious time of closeness!

May you find the precious parts of your soul you may have lost or forgotten, and shine them out into the world as a beacon of light and peace and may you be written and sealed for a good, and sweet, year!